


Sleepless in Whitestone

by Mothfluff



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Perc'ahlia - Fandom, Vox Machina - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Baby, Fluff, Keyleth and Percy as BFFs, Post-Vecna
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-22 23:19:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12493140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mothfluff/pseuds/Mothfluff
Summary: Caring for a newborn is time-consuming and tiring, Percy has learned. So tiring. His constant worry doesn't help, either. So when his friend Keyleth offers to help out - he still can't shut off his brain. He might even have to.. *shudder*... TALK about his emotions.





	Sleepless in Whitestone

**Author's Note:**

> This could, in theory, be seen as a second part to my first fic "The Future I've Chosen"... set a few months or maybe a year later.
> 
> Because I love the friendship between Keyleth and Percival and I feel like it should be written about much, much more <3

The baby was four weeks old, now. Four weeks. It still felt unreal to Percy, but here they were, cuddled up in the large armchair he'd had transported from the library to the newly furnished nursery. An armchair large enough for a sleeping half-elf, a wide-awake tiny quarter-elf and him. The baby cooed and giggled, and Percy feared for a second it'd wake Vex up, but she was long gone after a day that seemed to stretch on forever.

Four weeks. It would be a blatant lie if he said it wasn't the greatest four weeks he ever had. Oh sure, it was stressful and hectic and chaotic – the baby had decided to arrive a bit too early for their planning (and gods know Percy had planned it meticulously), so they had to hurry through all the official ceremonies and announcements and presentations. But all the stress was nothing against the many moments of peace and joy. Watching Vex feeding the baby in her arms, nothing but a poof of dark black hair against her glowing skin. Learning to bathe the little thing, so small and fragile in his hands. Hearing the noises of quiet blubbering, sniffling, cooing coming from the crib when she finally fell asleep and before they retired to their own bedroom.

However, it would also be a lie if he said that the past four weeks weren't also the most strenuous he ever had. Fighting dragons and even an undead god seemed to pale against caring for a newborn who combined her father's restless nights with her mother's early mornings. He tried to remember the last time he felt so tired, and couldn't come up with anything. Maybe right after he'd been resurrected.  
Even now, he could feel his eyelids slowly pulling down and had a hard time keeping himself awake. He couldn't sleep now, not when Vex was fast asleep herself, and the baby still awake on his chest. He could maybe sleep later, when he'd carried both his ladies to their respective beds, but he knew already it wouldn't be a sound sleep – what if the baby woke up and cried? What if – even worse – it didn't wake up for some horrible reason? He had to be attentive at any moment, and it was draining him.

Luckily, the little one decided to doze off sooner than usual today. He slowly slipped out of the armchair, careful not to rustle Vex, and carried the baby to the large and ornamental crib they'd found in the attic. It took a bit more energy to carry his wife to bed next door, but even that didn't wake her up. Percy studied her sleeping face between the pillows and wondered how she could be so peaceful and calm and resting, when there was so much to worry about – all – the – time. But it didn't take long for him to drift off as well.

\--------------------------------

It couldn't have been more than a few hours before he was wide awake again, though. He could hear the distinct noise of a quiet wail starting, meaning that soon enough there would be a full-on proper cry happening next door. Vex mumbled next to him, turning slightly, her eyes still closed.  
„Shh, dear. She's not hungry, just awake. I'm going.“ He calmed her with a soft kiss to her forehead, and she was asleep again in seconds.

The cold stonefloor against his bare feet as he passed through the door to the nursery's carpet was enough to wake him fully. In the half-darkness of the room, the baby had already begun to cry louder, and only lowered her volume a bit as he picked her up and gently put her on her shoulder.  
„Sssh, dear, sssh. You'll wake mama again.“ He quickly took her far away from the bed rooms, across the halls down to the reading room with its small veranda, all the while swaying from side to side and mumbling calming words. It didn't help. If the baby was awake, she was awake, and there was no turning back from another day of work, despite the sun not yet fully shining through the room.

He was only half-aware of the sound outside the veranda doors, caught only a glimpse of the magical glow coming from one of the trees in the garden – without his glasses, lying forgotten on the bedside table, he could barely see past the glass doors. But when the figure who'd just arrived at them lifted a hand close to her body and waved as awkward as she could, he recognised her immediately.

„Keyleth!“ A quick fumble with one hand opened the door, and the druid stepped in, bringing with her an airy wave from outside, smelling of pine cones and apples and the crisp autumn morning. „Vex didn't tell me you were visiting!“

„Oh, Vex didn't know. It was a spur of the moment thing.“ Keyleth gave him a half-hug, what with the baby on his other shoulder, to whom she quickly turned her attention. „Hello little Ela! You look so lovely so early in the morning! Did you wake up your papa?“  
He couldn't say a thing before she'd already grabbed the baby from his arm and swaddled her. As socially awkward as Keyleth could be around other adults, she was a natural with babies. Elaina's little wail stopped immediately and turned to a soft giggle in her arms.  
„Well, we're happy to see you any time. Especially if you bring your special druid powers of making babies stop crying, it seems.“

Her laughter was bright as she patted his shoulder. „Oh, it's probably just from the surprise of seeing someone besides her parents. Have you let her out of your sight at all in the past four weeks?“  
„Of course not.“ He replied indignant. „She's a baby, Keyleth. She pretty much needs constant attention.“  
„Well, she has mine now. So how about you go back to bed with your lovely wife and rest a bit, and then we can all have breakfast later! If, uh, I mean, if it's alright that I stay for the day.“  
He didn't even bother to reply to her question, considering all of Vox Machina still had a room in the castle constantly ready if any of them decided to visit. The idea of going back to sleep was tempting, but he quickly shook his head.  
„I'm awake now anyway. But I'd be thankful if you could watch her for a moment while I, erm, get presentable.“ He looked down at his somewhat ratty pyjamas, partially stained by baby spit up, and heard Keyleth snicker.

\-----------------------------------

It was a lovely day. Vex had woken up right as he'd finished getting dressed, and hearing of their friend's visit made her get ready even faster than usual. After breakfast – from which Cassandra excused herself early to work on administrative things – they'd spent some time in the garden, Keyleth entertaining the little baby in her Percy-built carrier with various magical things involving autumn leaves. When Cassandra called Vex in to discuss something concerning the Grey Hunt, Keyleth suggested a walk through Whitestone with Percy and the baby. He obliged, considering how much the people of the town loved seeing their new heiress out and about. Their path took them slowly towards the Sun Tree, as he'd expected, but it seemed like that wasn't the only goal Keyleth had in mind.

„Soooo... I was wondering.“ She abruptly changed the topic of their conversation. „If you and Vex would mind me staying for a bit with you all.“  
„Whitestone is your home as much as ours, you know that.“ He watched her fumble with her staff. „But don't you... don't your people need you at the moment?“ Keyleth had thrown herself into her role as Voice of the Tempest after their fight with Vecna, partially, Percy assumed, to keep her mind busy and away from her loss of Vax.  
„They do. Which is why I'm here.“ She played with Elaina's hand, grabbing for her long red hair. „You're my people as well. And I feel like you really need some help right now.“ Her look drifted towards the dark circles under his eyes. They'd always been there, after all he'd been through before meeting Vox Machina, making him look older than he was – but right now, they were more intense than ever before. „I'm afraid you're spreading yourself very thin, Percy.“

„I'm okay.“ He lied as he always did when she asked. „Just a bit tired, but I'd say that is normal for a new parent.“  
„It's not healthy, though.“ Her voice was as stern as she could muster, which wasn't much. „I can't offer a lot, but having a third helping hand in the house, I think, would be good for you. I can change diapers and get up in the night if she just needs company. My room is almost as close as yours.“  
It was hard not to admit how wonderful that sounded to him.  
„We'd be happy to have you stay for as long as you want. I know Vex definitely needs some company apart from two grouchy de Rolos.“

Keyleth laughed her bright laugh again, before continuing innocently enough.  
„I'm sure you and Cassandra are both good company and help for her.“  
„Cassandra is tremendous help. She's taken on basically all royal duties at the moment. Heaven knows I haven't the time for it all. And she's managed all the official bits, the announcements, the ceremonies... She's a born coordinator, it seems.“ He chuckled – as if he'd expected anything else from his little sister, always acting 15 years her senior. „But, ah.“ He hesitated. „She's not... she loves Elaina, that much is clear. She's just not, we were never a very... hands-on family.“  
„Well, then you should take advantage of the hands-on new family you got yourself as well.“  
He nodded. She was right, of course, as she so often was when it came to her friend's well-being.

\--------------------------

Vex was overjoyed about Keyleth's offer when Percy told her about it, after lunch, when they put Elaina down for her midday nap.  
„Oh, sweet, sweet Keyleth. What a dear she is. Maybe she'll finally convince you to get some sleep, if your wife and sister can't manage.“ She teasingly poked Percy's side, but stopped short when she saw the serious tone on his face. „What's wrong, darling?“  
„I just don't want to ask for too much from her.“ He sighed. „It's been a while now, but she's still dealing with- I know she's always eager to help but she needs to take care of herself as well.“  
„Darling.“ Vex cupped his face in her hands. „She offered this. I'm sure we'll notice if it gets too much for her. She's not one to hide her feelings well, remember.“ A soft stroking on his cheeks. „Is that really all that bothers you, though?“  
He looked away from her, she noticed. „I just worry.“  
„You always do. Too much, I'd say.“

 

It was almost a calm sleep he drifted into at evening, after bathing the baby and putting her to bed together with Vex and Keyleth, the latter insistent on being shown how to do it all properly. But it wasn't long before he heard the first small cry, followed by a few more, that had him sitting up in his bed as usual. By the time he put his feet to the floor, though, the crying had stopped. It didn't stop him from tiptoe-ing over to the nursery and carefully opening the door.

„Percy!“ Keyleth's voice was almost angry as she stared at him, stood in the doorway, while she put the already asleep Elaina back into her crib. „The point of this arrangement was not to have you wake up with me, you doofus!“  
„I just, I heard the baby cry, I couldn't-“ He tried to protest, but his friend wasn't having it.  
„And you also heard her stop again when I took care of it. Yet here you are.“  
He grumbled. „It's really more of an instinct by now, Keyleth.“  
„An instinct that gets you all the way across the room and through the door when it's become obvious there's no more crying?“  
„No more crying is not necessarily a good thing. Silence is just as bad.“ His voice was tense, he noticed himself. Keyleth had made her way over to him and put a hand on his arm.  
„I think you need to talk about things. Do you want to talk about this?“  
„No.“ He answered, honestly for a change. „But I suspect you'll make me anyway.“  
She smiled, at least. „Come on. We'll go to the reading room, leave the three de Rolo ladies sleep quietly. I'm sure there's a drink for you in one of the cabinets there, as well.“

\--------------------------------------------

The glass was empty by now, the ice cube slowly melting, but neither of the two had said a word yet. Keyleth broke the silence by clearing her throat, wrapped in her mantle, her feet up against Percy's side on the chaiselongue they were sharing.  
„So.“ She tried to sound nonchalant. „Silence is just as bad. Why?“  
„Gods, Keyleth.“ Percy could only muster a very coarse laugh while leaning forward, elbows on his knees. „I don't know. How would you feel if there was no sound at all coming from the crib? No sign of anything?“  
„She's just asleep then, Percy. She's not...“ It was hard to find the word.  
„She could be.“ He brushed his hand through his hair, tousling it and making it stand up even more than it already did from the short sleep. „There's... so much that could happen. So many dangers. So much to look out for.“  
„She's as safe as any child could be, in this castle full of guards and with you and Vex looking after her.“  
„She could be safer. There's always space for improvement.“  
„So you're just gonna keep going like this? Staying awake all the time, always by her side until she's what, 18? You're going to damage yourself.“  
„Better me than her.“  
„Oh, enough with your cryptic drama!“ A pillow softly but pointedly hit the back of his head. „It's the middle of the night, Percival, we're sitting here in the cold instead of enjoying our beds because you've decided to be as neurotic as can be, the least you could do is talk to me.“

„What do you want to hear then, Keyleth? You want to me to bare my soul here? If so, you don't know me all that well.“ He almost snarled back before leaning down again. „You, of all people, should understand my fears.“  
„Everyone's afraid of losing a loved one, especially a child.“  
„Not everyone's lost so many and so vividly as we have.“  
Keyleth was silent, but he could hear her swallow.  
„We've both seen the person we love most cold on the ground, haven't we? More than once. Is it so hard to understand my mindset, with such a fragile little thing as a baby...“  
The sound of her sobbing made him sit up. He leaned over, pulled her into his arms and felt her warm tears on his neck.  
„Keyleth, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned-“  
„No.“ She stubbornly sat up, her hands still on his arms, red eyes staring at him. „You're right, you're absolutely right. We've seen them die. I've watched him walk away... but that doesn't mean we have to be fearful for the rest of our lives.“ She swallowed. „I think it means the opposite, really.“  
She shifted on the seat, sitting next to Percy and leaning her head against him. „What would it mean for his sacrifice if the people he loved weren't happy and safe now? That's all he ever wanted.“  
„That's true.“ Was all he could muster to say.  
„And, and we're all his family. Vex said that, after... that's why I'm here, too, with you three. I want to keep you safe and happy. And I want to be safe and happy with you. With the people I love, with my family.“  
He put an arm around her back and pulled her closer.  
„You are.“  
„We're keeping each other safe. But we're also keeping each other happy. It's, it's a, a mutual thing. You can't just give and give and not get anything in return, Percy.“  
He nodded. She was right again, of course, as she so often was when it came to her friend's well-being.  
„So please. Go to sleep and let me take care of Elaina. And I promise, if anything happens I'll wake you, trust me.“

\------------------------------------------

He slept for what felt like days. Not even Vex getting up next to him could wake him up, and she made very sure nothing else would either. When his eyes finally blinked open, the sun had already crept up high in the sky, shining bright through the bedroom windows, bathing everything in a golden shimmer.  
The same golden shimmer covered the floor of the play room, where he finally found company after getting dressed. Elaina, lying on a fur blanket and gleefully kicking her legs while Vex was on her knees, playing with her daughter's feet. Keyleth not far away from them, in yet another armchair, smiling with a bit of tiredness to her eyes, but content. He sat down on the armrest next to her, one hand on her shoulder.

„I've been thinking, dear, that we need to commission another painting.“  
Vex looked up at him and almost groaned.  
„Another?“ She thought back to the many, many painting they'd already paid for – the official painting of them three for the gallery, the paintings of Elaina alone to send out to dignitaries and friends and family, the special request from Gilmore of a tiny group picture which he'd turn into a beautiful locket to surprise Vex with.  
„Another, dear. I really think the gallery would do well with a painting of Elaina with her aunt Kiki.“  
He could feel Keyleth's hand reaching for his and squeezing it tight.


End file.
